Thursday, May 18, 2017

Advantages of Public University Honors Programs and Colleges

Last week I attended a stimulating and
impressive panel of honors presentations by students at a small liberal arts
college.These inter-disciplinary
presentations included such fascinating topics as a feminist analysis of
Beyonce’s Lemonade and an
investigation into environmental human rights’ abuses in the Philippines.The panel was attended by supportive faculty
and faculty mentors, fellow students and even parents.

If only students at public universities had
such access to faculty mentoring and intellectually nurturing environments. . .
.

Well, they do.Many large public
universities also offer honors programs designed to bring a more liberal arts
college approach and curriculum to high achieving students.

Editor John Willingham of Inside Honors: Ratings and Reviews of Public
University Honors Programs has rated
(rather than ranked) 60 honors programs and colleges around the U.S. to
evaluate their benefits and overall quality.His website, “Public University Honors,” which updated the list of
programs also includes a page of questions and criteria to consider when
choosing among different programs.

Another site to visit when comparing honors
programs is Peterson’s, which differentiates programs from colleges, the latter
of which are often, but not always,better established and more fully developed integrated programs.

In my experience and background as a
faculty member and academic advisor, I believe some of the most important
criteria to look for in an honors college or program are:

*priority registration

*small classes taught exclusively by
faculty members

*inter-disciplinary course offerings and
projects

*honors classes offered all four years in
the curriculum, not just to freshmen and sophomores

*a required capstone thesis or project

In our California University system the
University of California campuses offer Regents Scholarships and acceptance
into honors as part of admissions—no separate essay or application is required.As the universities have become more
selective over the past few years, so have the honors programs.

One program particularly well rated by
Willingham is at University of California, Irvine, which has what is called a
“core” program as it emphasizes interdisciplinary seminars for the first two
years followed by courses in 15 key academic disciplines.

Though not rated by Willingham, the Weber Honors College at San Diego State University is also well regarded.In addition to offering a wide array of inter-disciplinary
courses, it requires a study abroad experience for all participants.Honors housing is another attractive
perk.Applicants for this program send
in an additional application and essay along with the regular CSU application.

Several other states offer strong honors
programs as a means of recruiting top students.The Clark Honors College at the University of Oregon is noted for its
undergraduate research and thesis program, its study abroad opportunities and
the number of merit scholarships awarded.

As you assemble your final college list
this summer, be sure to consider the benefit of honors programs and colleges,
as an important criterion of your search.